But I'm Gone
by doodlegirll
Summary: 9 had always wondered how 7 got the scar on her back that obscured her numeral from view... .:9/7, mild 2/5 AU:.


**Saw 9 twice in one week. That is a personal best for me when it comes to seeing movies at the theatre!**

**Anyway, I was a 2/5, 9/7 shipper right off the bat! I knew I wanted to write a fic for this movie the moment I saw the trailer back in May, but it wasn't until I saw for the second time today that I finally came up with a good idea. :) And as for favorite characters, I loved them all, but if I had to choose one, I would probably say either 6 or 7. I'd probably say 7 (though Crispin Glover is love!)**

**So here is my creation!**

**(PS- Obviously it's AU, as everone is still alive!)**

* * *

**But I'm Gone**

_By doodlegirll_

***

9 had always wondered how 7 got the scar on her back that obscured her numeral from view.

Ever since he had first seen the jagged stitching and red patch in the middle of her bleached skin, he had contemplated the event, the horrible accident that could have caused such an injury. What could have caused her to lose such a part of her body and most of the thing that made her who she was? A run-in with one of the beasts? An explosion?

Of course, he didn't have the courage to ask any of the others, let alone 7 herself, about it, afraid that no one would want to tell him about it. Perhaps it brought back too many painful memories, as the accident that resulted in 5's missing eye had. But besides that, 7 was a warrior, and she did not let things like scars and pain and danger stand in her way. She was not one to dwell on things that had happened in the past - unless it had something to do with 1 and the way he liked to run things.

And he always found himself stuttering and acting quite awkward whenever he was near her.

9 sighed as he walked onto the platform and into the lift that would take him to the watchtower. He had found himself spending a lot of time up there nowadays, contemplating this new life and the dangers it poised, trying to find his place among his newfound friends. He and the 5 had been given the duty of watching out for any sign of possible danger, taking shifts if one needed a rest cycle. He and 5 talked, and 5 tried to teach 9 everything he didn't know or that he hadn't learned. They discussed the world, and the war that they were all engaged in. 9 had found himself a soldier from the moment he had awoken a few weeks prior, and he was still trying to wrap his hand around it all. Sometimes it was overwhelming.

"There you are, 9!" 5 said upon his arrival. "I was wondering if you were going to show up!"

"Sorry." 9 apologized. "I lost track of time."

"It's alright." 5 said. "It's easy to do that sometimes."

9 nodded.

"Is there anything new?" He asked, walking up to the old telescope, closing one optic to survey the landscape in front of them.

5 shook his head. "All is quiet." He said. "I haven't seen or heard anything tonight."

9 stepped away from the telescope and turned back to face the elder stitchpunk. "Maybe we'll all sleep tonight, then." He said. "3 and 4 are still having nightmares from the last attack we had."

His friend nodded sympathetically. "Poor things," he said. "It's not their fault that they were designed to remember things. Everytime they sleep, those images play like one of those moving clips in their heads. It must be horrible to be able to see memories like that."

9 agreed. "And then 1 gets angry because we disturb him when we all try to comfort them."

"1 is old." 5 shrugged. "And can we really expect empathy from someone like him?"

9 said nothing more. He simply sighed again and sat down on the floor, his optics flitting around the small open space as 5 took a seat at the base of the telescope.

"Anything on your mind, 9?" He asked the younger stitchpunk, who looked up, blinking, obviously not expecting 5 to notice the far away look on his face. He had always trusted 5. He had, after all, found and rescued him from the emptiness when he had first awoken, despite his fear of leaving the safety of the cathedral, and angering the already strict and billigerent 1.

"No." 9 lied. "Not really."

5 studied him carefully, and 9 was almost afraid his single optic could see right through him, and his lie. But instead of insisting 9 tell him what was on his mind as he expected him to, 5 let the question hang, and shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at the darkening sky.

"It's going to be dark soon." He said. "We should get inside."

He held out his hand, and helped 9 back onto his feet, and the two decended back into the warmth of the cathedral. They were nearly knocked over flat as 6 rushed past them from behind, in a hurry to get to his niche in the corner of the cathedral. Obviously the artist had had another idea, and had to get it out on paper before another one came.

They made their way towards the larger area that all the stitchpunks (aside from 1 and 8) shared as a sleeping room. Each stitchpunk had their own bed, surrounded by personal trinkets and belongings. 2's area, for example, had bits and pieces of inventions scattered around, while 6's area was littered with papers and ink stains covered his bedding and the walls.

The two stitchpunks parted, each crossing to their individual beds, sitting down. 5 wasted now time picking up one of his inventions, a grapling hook, and began to tinker with it. 9 sat against the wall, and he closed his optics and began to think about nothing in particular.

A few minutes later, the sound of scurrying could be heard, and 9 opened his eyes to see 3 and 4 run into the room, their young faces wild with fear. 9 sat up quickly, and the twins took notice of him and hurried to hide behind him.

Moments later, 1 and 8 came stomping into the room with 6 following timidly behind, his hands clenching the key around his neck nervously. 5 sat his project down slowly and stood to his feet as 1 neared 9 and the twins.

"Come out from behind him, you two!" 1 spat at the twins. "He cannot protect you!"

9's eyebrows furrowed, and he put a hand behind him to reassure the terrified 3 and 4 before he, too, stood to his feet.

"What did they do now, 1?" He asked.

"What else could they have done?" The eldest stitchpunk was fuming. "They broke the rules again!"

"That doesn't answer my question." 9 had never been afraid to stand up to the group's leader, even calling him a coward to his face on one occasion. "How did they break the rules?"

6 stepped forward. "T-they t-took one of m-my p-pictures again." He said. "A-and t-then t-they w-wouldn't give it b-back. S-so I c-chased them."

"And ended up making a huge mess!" 1 intercepted. "They caused an entire shelf of books to fall downstairs! Such a noise could be heard for miles, I'm sure! If they aren't careful they'll lead the monsters straight to us!"

"You said that when 2 brought back that bullet and the twins accidently blew it up." 5 said, crossing the room to stand beside 9. "And the monsters didn't find us then..."

8's glare shut the timid journeyman up quickly.

"That doesn't matter!" 1 said, slamming his staff down hard on the floor, the bell jingling furiously. "If they continue to disrupt our peace, they will be put out!"

"Hey!" 9 protested. "You can't do that! They'll never survive out there! Not on their own!"

9 suddenly found the hook of 1's staff around the back of his neck, and the leader furiously pulled him away from his bed where the twins still cowered, yanking him down. He looked up at 1's narrowed optics, still surprised by the sudden move on the old leader's part.

"Shut up you insolent troublemaker!" He hissed. "Ever since you arrived here, you've been nothing but a stitch in my side, and I will not have any more of it! One more disruption on your part will find you out in the emptiness with them!"

9 bit back the remark he wanted so badly to shove in 1's smug face, and forced himself to nod. 1 released him, and 8 pulled him back and away from him, causing him to collide with his bed. He grabbed the edge to steady and support himself, and they watched as 1 and 8 stalked off and out of their room, throwing back the curtain that acted as their door. Just as they exited, 7 entered, her bird skull helmet under her arm. Noting the angry look on 1's face, she looked towards 9 and the others, noticing 3 and 4 hugging each other and shaking like dead leaves in the breeze.

"What happened?" She asked as she crossed the room to help 5 hoist 9 back onto his feet. "Why did 1 look like he was ready to feed us all to the beasts?"

"That's basically what he just threatened." 9 said as he brushed himself off. He gestured to 3 and 4. "Apparently the twins stole one of 6's paintings and wouldn't give it back, and the three of them ended up causing a shelf downstairs to collapse."

7 looked momentarily towards 6, who had gone over to his part of the room and was already scribbling on a piece of paper, then turned back to the twins. She gently sat her helmet down on 9's bed, and then sat down herself. She beaconed the twins towards her, and they quickly scooted towards her, buring their hooded faces into her shoulders. She whispered gently to them, trying to calm them, as 9 and 5 watched. Before long, their small bodies had relaxed, and after a few minutes were asleep. 7 looked to 9 and 5 for help, and without a word, they scooped the twins up gently into their arms and laid them on the larger bed they shared, covering them with the old rag that acted as a blanket. The two scooted unconsciously closer together, and before long were smiling peacefully in their sleep.

5 looked at them. "I'm going to find 2." He said. "He might need my help."

"Okay." 9 said, nodding.

The one eyed stitchpunk gave a half smile and walked out of the room.

9 sighed and turned to find 7 sitting on her bed, her helmet in her hands. She stared at it intently, running her metal fingers gently over the smooth top.

"Poor things." She murmured. "They'll never stop having nightmares if 1 keeps scaring them like that."

9 chuckled. "No kidding." He said.

"As if they aren't scarred enough already." 7 went on. "They can't help that they catalogue everything! It's their purpose!"

9 noticed the pained look on her face, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah." He finally said softly. He looked at the floor for a minute before looking back up at 7, who had placed her helmet on the nail next to her bed.

"Speaking of scars..." He said. "I've been meaning to ask you...how did you get yours?"

7 looked surprised. "What?"

"T-the scar on your back. The one that took off some of your number. I was wondering how it happened."

7 blinked her optics at him as he looked at her hopefully. She closed them, and looked away.

"Nothing." She said, quietly. "It's nothing."

9 causiously walked over to her bed, sitting down on it. He placed his hand on her arm, and she turned her head to look at him.

"You can tell me, 7." He said. "I promise."

7, who would have normally blown up at anyone who made the memory resurface, finally sighed.

"It's a long story." She said. "And not one I like to remember."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want..." 9 started.

7 cut him off. "No, you need to know." She said.

She and 9 moved to where they were facing each other, cross legged, on her bed, and 7 began her tale...

_It was about a week after 5's accident that had caused him to loose his left optic, and 7 had been sent out to look for supplies in the emptiness. She had done so reluctantly, wanting to stay close to the cathedral in case 2 needed her help making 5 comfortable again, despite her rising contempt for the old church that 1 called their sanctuary. 7 knew it more as a prison, and she and the others were prisoners, slaves, and 1 their master. However, she knew that she probably should, to get out and move around a little. If it was out of the cathedral, it was away from 1, and it was when she was out exploring and alone that she was happiest._

_She had managed to find a few things 2 had asked her to search for, including an old battery, and many coils of wire. She had wrapped some of the bendable wire around the battery, hoisting it onto her back. It was heavy, and weighed nearly half as much as she did, but she was determined to get it to 2, even if it meant trekking all night through the emptiness. She carried with her one of her blades, in case she ran into any trouble._

_It was getting dark, and 7 could not help but get the feeling she was being watched. Rarely one to show any form of nervousness, 7 hurried on back towards the cathedral, back towards the structure that, while a prison, __**was **safety. _

_Something screeched from behind her, and 7 spun around to see a dark shape duck behind a large pile of rubble and twisted metal. She wasted no time turning and running, not looking back. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard the creak and groan of something mechanical moving, and found herself face to face with a Cat Beast. _

_7 screamed, and dropped the battery and wire from her back. The Cat Beast studied her for a minute, as if confirming she was actually a living thing, before advancing towards her._

_7 was so terrified she could do nothing but back up. She did not see the large bolt behind her, and she stumbled, falling backwards. Seeing her weakness, the Cat Beast quickemed its pace, and 7 quickly climbed to her feet and ran as the Cat Beast followed, roaring._

_She ran, zigzaging back and forth instinctively, trying to throw the beast off her trail. She made a quick turn to her left, and soon found herself backed up against a large board of wood with rusty nails purtruding from it. _

_There was nothing she could do, and there was nothing she could climb but face the horrible beast in front of her. _

_She knew she was going to die._

_Nevertheless, 7 felt the undeniable urge to fight. If this beast was going to kill her, she was not going down without a fight. _

_The Cat had spotted her, and was only a few feet away. 7's formulated plan left her in an instant. It reached out for her, its metal claws clanking together, but 7 quickly dodged it, keeping her back to the board. _

_The beast went to grab her again, and as 7 went to jump to the side again, she felt a tug behind her, and slammed back against the scratchy wood, something cold poking at the sensitive metalwork inside her body. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the pointed end of a nail had stabbed her through her back, and as she tried to move, it dug deeper, hitting more and more of her frame. She bit her lip and tried to free herself as the Cat noticed her predicament, and reached one last time for her._

_And then, it had her, clenching her tightly between the sharp claws. 7 gasped, wanting to scream, but found herself too shocked and terrified to get anything out. The Cat, convinced it had her, pulled her towards it, leaving a good portion of the skin of her back stuck on the nail. _

_7 cried out in pain, and out of the corner of her optics saw small sparks coming from her back. Pain coursed through her every gear, every wire, and she felt the world around her going black._

_"Must stay awake!" She told herself fiercely. "Don't give up!"_

_In the end, the darkness won, and she fell into unconsciousness, slumping against the claws of the Cat. The beast sniffed her when it noticed she had stopped fighting, turning her around. Seeing the gaping hole and sparks and metal joints and framework sticking out, it growled loudly before throwing her roughly back to the ground. 7 landed in a heap, and the Cat bound away._

"What happened after that?" 9 asked.

7 shrugged. "The next thing I know, I'm in 2's workshop. He said 6 had seen the attack in one of his visions, and had gone ballistic trying to find someone who would listen to him, and had begged 2 to go after me. He and 5 set out, and saw the beast chasing me. They saw everything, and when it was gone, they brought me back here and worked on fixing me. 5 found a piece of cloth that was about the right size and 2 used it to patch me up."

9 looked down at his hands. "I had always wondered..." He said. "I mean, it's hard to..."

"Miss?" 7 sighed. "I know. After I found out it had taken most of my number, my identity with it, that's when I decided to never let a beast do that to someone else. That's when I found my helmet and started to really fight. It's my job to protect everyone."

9 was sheepish as he said, "I think you're doing a good job of it."

7 smiled at him. "Thanks." She said.

At that moment, the twins sat up suddenly, their eyes flickering frantically. They looked at each other, and then hopped out of their bed, running to 7 and 9.

"Another nightmare?" 9 asked as the twins scurried up behind them. 3 and 4 nodded.

2 and 5 chose this particular moment to enter, and seeing the randevous at 7's bed, crossed the room to join the others.

"What's wrong?" 2 asked, his voice filled with concern for the twins.

"They had another nightmare." 7 explained. "They seem to be getting worse."

2 frowned. "5 told me 1 scared them again." He said. He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to the twins. "There, there." He said soothingly. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

3 and 4 looked at him, then looked towards 5. They surveyed their friends around them, then looked at each other.

_Click, flash, flicker, flash!_

4 turned to the wall, and his optics began to project an image, obviously scanned from a book. It showed a large group of people - a family with an older male and female, and a slightly younger male - all gathered around a bed with a small girl in it. Everyone was smiling, and sitting near the edge of the child's bed as she slept peacefully. A caption underneath the picture read "Scaring Away the Monsters."

"I think they want us to stay up with them." 9 said after a moment of studying the picture. He looked at the twins as 4's projection ended, and his sister helped to support him. "Is that it? You want us all to make sure you don't have any more nightmares?"

3 and 4 nodded, smiling. They hoped up from the bed and ran back to their own, diving under their blanket and peeking out at the rest of the group expectantly. The rest of the stitchpunks glanced at one another before they, too, joined the twins at their bed.

"There you go." 2 said as he gently tucked the blanket around them. "Sleep tight. We won't let you have any more bad dreams."

The twins nodded, and snuggled in together. Before long, their optics closed, and they were asleep.

"I guess we'd better stay here." 2 said after a moment. "In case they _do _wake up again..."

"We might as well." 7 said. "I don't see how it could hurt."

7 and 9 sat down on the floor, their backs to the bed, while 2 and 5 slumped against each other, 5's head on 2's shoulder. 7 yawned widely, and without thinking put her head comfortably on 9's shoulder. She smiled lightly as she drifted to sleep, while if 9 could have blushed he would have combusted into flames. He placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, albeit awkwardly, and closed his optics.

6 smiled as he looked at the spectacle in front of him. Pushing aside some of his artworks, he found a clean piece of paper. He dipped his nibbed fingers into the ink well next to him, and began to draw what he saw.

It would make a fine edition to his collection.


End file.
